Cooling tower



Patented May 10, 1932 EDWIN Buanomv, or nonoxnn, n nwmnsm COOLING 'rownn A lication'fiieana m, 1929. serial no. ae7,594.

This invention is a novel cooling tower, that is to say, an apparatus of the class which air currents are brought into contact K with the water-to be cooled, the latter being 1 caused to pass by gravitythrough the tower while subjected to the cooling influence. The invention is shown embodiedin atower preferably using natural air currents, but could be employed with other types of cooling tower, for exampleusing forced draft. Further, the invention is shown as applied to the class of cooling towerin which the'descent of the warm water is interrupted and I delayed by means of one or more structures or cooling decks arranged at various points in the height of the towerfor preventing a too rapid passage of the water, but is available in a simple tower having little or no means of delay of descent from the top of 39 the collecting pan at the bottom.

The main object of the present invention is to improve the initial distribution of the water in a cooling tower'whereby to increase the cooling efficiency. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the hereinafter following description or will be apparent to those skilled in the art. I

To the attainment oftheabovereferred to objects and advantages, the present invention consists in thenovel combination, arrangement, constructions, devices and other features shown or described herein.

In the accompanying drawings showing one form or embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a cooling tower embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a bers 12 and 13 which are arranged in pairs" at different heights, and the channel members 13 being disposed at rightanglesto the members 12. Along each of the foursides of the frame as thus constituted may be'a series oflouvers of any ordinary or preferred type, such louvers being omitted from the drawings because'they form no, essential part of the present invention. A disclosure .of' louvers is to be found in my prior Patent No.'1,443,97l of February 6, 1923, which may be referred to for details;

' 1 The distributingvessel to be described below; or several ofthem in series, may be used with orv without intermediate cooling decks, and give an effective shower and cooling; but as a system of decks is usual these are illustratedand will now be described.

OFFIC The several pairs of cross-bars or channel members 12 an 13 constitute supports for the successive cooling decks 14, 15 and 16, arranged in superimposed relation. Any number of such decks maybe employed dependent uponthe capacityjof the tower, three being "shown. Furthermore, the specificjc0nstruction of the decks may be varied as de-'- sired, and maycomprise simple slats, orjbe omitted altogether. Those in the "drawings each comprise a plurality of narrow troughs 17 disposed side-byside, withfth'eir opposite ends resting on the respective cross-bars 12 or 13,- as the case may be, and held firmly in position by clamping rods18' and eye-bolts 19. The troughs of each deck are' held in spacedirelation bymeans of'collars or spacingblocks' 20 on the clamping rods, making possible" the overflow of water between the adjacent troughs; p

The troughs 17 in alternate decks extend transversely with reference to those immediately'aboveandbelowthem. The upper longitudinal edges of each of the troughs are provided with notches 21 so that the accumu latingwater in each trough will'pass out from the same at designated points in relation to the distributing membersof the deck beneath. For example each notch maybe in substantially central vertical-alinement with vessel 23 characterizing this invention, and Y which maybeused' singly or in sets. While its form may be varied it is illustratively shown in the form of an open trough or tank of rectangular form which receives the water to be cooled from a standpipe 24.1 The tank 23 preferably extends crosswise with relation to the troughs 17 of the first deck 14, and is spaced above the same a substantial distance.

Each 'side wall :0f the trough or vessel 23 along its length is provided with a series of discharge apertures arranged at different depths, the apertures for example :being. 1m ranged as shown in several inclined rows. The several apertures of each series arrearranged not only at different levels but also preferably in vertical "alrnem'ent with the several troughs 17 ofthe deck .14, y when .such a deck is used. i Y Y fBy'wirt'ue of the fact that :the successive apertures 250i each series are at .difi'erent depths in the vessel, theflresultantlhead of 3 water will be different and cause the water to be projected to difi'erent lateral distanees .from the sides of the tank; For example, as shown'in Fig. .2, the water dis 3O from the lowermost apertures will be forcedcharged 'itromt'he upper holes of each series willfallrather abruptly, as indicated by the dotted "lines A,-while the water issuing from the intermediatelevel will .be forced further out fr'omithe sides-of the tank, as represented by the dotted lines B, and the water flowing still furthenoutwardly as shown by the dotted lines In 'this way the'finit-ial distribution o'f'the wateris' spread out in. a wide cooling area,.taking better advantage of the cooling air currents at that portion of the tower, In some cases thezsame principle couldbe "employed at .a distributing level or deck'fbelow the initial distribution point.

Normally the vessel or tank is intended to be kept full of water,thesupply equaling or exceedihgthedistribution through the aperturesj 25 Thus the level offwater will 'be somewhat .above the uppermost apertures "25,

. asfollows. The upper edges of the tank are so "that the side wall apertures 25 .may .discharge in a constantly uniform manner. Any over-supplyof water may be handled formed with overflownotches 26 which will directthe overflow into certain of"thetroughs below.

,-Asusual-,-a collecting: pan 28 isdisposed at the :bottom of :the cooling tower 'toreceive the cooled water "from the'lowermo'st deck,

and (from which said water is "conducted to :a

p'lace of use through a drain pipe 29.

"F romth'e foregoing it will lbe seen that an improved -cooling tower has been provided,

and along each side a series of discharge apertures arranged at different depths to cause "the issuing streams to project to different lateral distances, .and Ya cooling deck spaced therebelow comprising members located to receive and redistribute the several streams from the distributing vessel. YI2L In acooling tower having a frameanda plurality of superimposed cooling decks, water distributing means comprising a 'tank mounted on said frame above said decks, and having a plurality of discharge ports'in its side at different levels, the respective ports at diiferentleve'ls beingout of verticalralinement, and lthe deck .therebelow having receiving vtroughs in .alinement with the respective ports. j

3. Ina cooling tower of the class described,

a support, a water distributing tank'mounted transversely with reference to the direction o'f-the distributingtank, and the distributing tan'kfbeing .character'izedby discharge .apertures in its sides, each of said apertures being in vertical .alinement with :a. different trough. of 'the redistributing deck, and the aggregate. ,of :said apertures being insufficient .told'eplete the ffull'leve'lo'f the tank undernormal conditions. v V

.Inan, atmospheric cooling tower, the tower .frame, having substantial height and open sides whereby lto admit the lateral passage of naturalair currents, and at the top of the tower .a' distributing. vessel having along, its wall a system oflaterally directed discharge" apertures spaced longitudinally and'at varying depths to produce .asystem of laterally projected water jets resulting in vertical streamsspaced apart in bothhor'izon tal vdimensions.

.5.- 'In a cooling tower a'top cooling deck narrow distributing vessel spaced above said deck and having an imperforate bottom. but along each lateralside aseries of discharge apertures arranged at different depths to cause thefissuing streams 'to project laterally outward to different distances, for distribution upon the deck members of the cooling deck.

6. In a cooling tower having a frame and a plurality of superimposed cooling decks, of which the top deck comprises a series of parallel deck members for receiving warm Water and redistributing it over the horizontal Width and length of the deck, Water distributing means comprising a trough mounted on said frame above said top deck, and having a closed bottom and at each lateral side means for discharging Water laterally at difierent levels, whereby to produce. a system of separate jets to pass to the deck members of the top deck anddescend in 1ongitudinally and laterally redistributed condition.

In testimony whereof, this specification has been duly signed by:

EDWIN BUBHORN. 

